NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: CAPITALS v RED WINGS

June 16, 1998

Olaf Kolzig

OLAF KOLZIG: Pretty empty feeling right now. It feels like we've just played two months OF hockey for nothing and, in a couple of weeks, I'll realize that it probably meant more than it seems right now. We came a long way this year as a team, as an organization and, you know, we just -- we lost to a great hockey team. We had a chance. They played like champs and they deserve it. It wasn't like we got no play the whole series. It was just one difference in every game and they seemed to have it and that's why they're the champs again.

OLAF KOLZIG: Obviously. We had a good run and I felt I was a big contributor to that. But at the same time, you know, it's a team game and we lost as a team. Like I said, I've got an empty feeling right now. A couple of days FROM right now, couple of weeks from now, I'll sit back and realize how great this year really was.

OLAF KOLZIG: That's hard to say. They were four lines deep, they had obviously veteran core defenseman. Chris Osgood played great for as much pressure as he was under with the media and the fans in Detroit. He played super. I mean, he didn't look rattled at all; didn't look phased at all. Tonight he put the exclamation point on the Playoffs and my hat's off to him. He played great.